The neighbors must have been surprised.

The beach cottage in Arnold's Shore Acres community had an unparalleled view of little Lake Placid and the Magothy River, but not much else.

Lina Fallin and her life partner Thomas "Butch" Wright bought the property in 2010 and began designing their dream home.

Permits were approved. The old cottage was torn down. A new foundation was prepared atop the footprint of the cottage. When neighbors went to work in the morning, only the foundation was in place. But, when they came home, there stood a three-story house stood. It certainly looked like a complete house: it had a roof, drywall and windows.

The couple's residence is a modular house, built by Apex Modular Homes, Inc. of Middlebury, Pennsylvania. The company builds about 700 homes annually. The more than 10,000 homes it has produced since 1990 can be found in 17 East Coast states and five foreign countries.

The modular home came into the cul-de-sac in four pieces and were fastened together in a single work day.

"The plumbing and electrical work was done for us, but we did everything else," Wright said.

The bathroom fixtures including toilets, sinks, a floating vanity and tile were sourced at Southern Sales in Baltimore.

The two were eager to incorporate items better than what is called "builder grade," a term often associated with inexpensive products manufactured from low quality materials.

Wright put in all the dark maple cabinets and laid the maple hardwood floors by himself. He tiled the lower level floor, including the pre-arranged compass rose motif in the hallway. But, he had an expert handle the tiling in the bathrooms.

One especially unique touch were the walls of his lower level "man cave." Wright took apart a load of wooden pallets. Laying the rugged, rust-stained planks horizontally, he covered the walls with them.

Modular doesn't mean cookie-cutter. Fallin went over the architectural plans and made some significant alterations.

"We were limited to the square footage," she said of the two-bedroom, three bathroom design. "Working at a design firm, I knew what we wanted -- an open concept."

She also listened to the advice of her parents, Wayne and Georgia Fallin of Lothian who had, on their own, built four custom homes for themselves over the years.

"Make the ceilings 9-feet high," her dad urged. "And, to give the impression the ceilings are even higher, make the doors 8-feet tall."

She did. And, wow! It worked.

At her mom's suggestion, most of the home's walls are painted a neutral shade by Benjamin Moore called Pewter. The guest bedroom, however, is a paint shade called Taos Taupe.

The two met many years ago and have been an official twosome for five years. Wright's sister is one of Fallin's best friends.

Fallin, a South River High School graduate, is a human resources coordinator at M. Arthur Gensler Jr. & Associates, Inc.'s offices in Washington. Known as Gensler, it's a global design and architecture firm. She also is a licensed Maryland real estate agent with Taylor Properties.

Wright, a Broadneck High School grad, owns Mid-Atlantic Tuff Deck & Railing, which is the regional distributor and installer for Tuff Deck products. He handles the sales and installations. Products include roof membranes that can be walked on and powder-coated aluminum railings.

Not coincidentally, the water side of the house has two wide decks on the upper levels that attractively incorporate Wright's company products. Both decks span the width of the house.

When they went house-hunting in 2010, Wright's desires were simple.

"My priority was a pier and a boat lift," he said.

Wright loves to fish, hunt and go boating. But, on weekends, it's hard to get him out of his man-cave to go anywhere if it involves getting into a car.

"If we can't go by boat, we don't go," he growled.

The home's lower level encompasses the man-cave which doubles as Wright's home office, the guest bedroom, and a bathroom.

On the hallway wall, Fallin placed an unusual artwork — a fishing net, replete with small wooden floats, is artfully draped on hooks.

Another artwork hangs on the bathroom wall. It is a stylized representation of the Fallin-Wright house as viewed from the water. Artist Carlo Deupi, husband of Fallin's boss, painted it and presented it to her as a housewarming gift.

Two of the wood-plank walls sport discarded captains' wheels. On one wall is a mounted taxidermy cast of a huge striped bass rockfish Wright caught as a young adult. A photograph of him holding the original fish is posted just below the model.

Another wall sports a giant, decades-old map of Anne Arundel County. On the map, BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport is identified as Friendship International Airport.

An antique steamer trunk, originally owned by Wright's grandfather, serves as a coffee table. The leather and wood chest is stenciled with the initials T.J.W.

Near the front door, the guest bedroom, Fallin said, was designed "to remind me of being on a cruise ship."

She was inspired by a room created by architectural photographer David Churchill which she spotted on Houzz.com.

A porthole window, framed with circular moulding and rosettes, is set between the two dark wood frame twin beds. Directly beneath the window, a multi-handled steamer trunk is utilized as a lamp stand. A key-like motif hangs on the wall above each bed.

As we head up the stairs to the main floor, Fallin noted the stair railings with solid brushed aluminum handrails were custom-made.

The kitchen, dining and living room areas all are open. Thanks to the 8-foot doors, the ceiling appears to soar over our heads.

One wall in the living room resembles the surface of a mica cave. It is a richly textured wallpaper seemingly covered with thousands of tiny mica discs Fallin found.

On the opposite wall, next to the circular dining room table, is an elegant, mural sized mirror, set into a beveled frame.

"I got it at Value City," said Fallin. "It was $288."

"I love bargain shopping and shopping online."

The retro Barcelona chairs, seamed cream leather on chrome metal frames, were an online purchase. So, too, were the sleek chrome bar chairs that have adjustable heights.

The pillows were a find at HomeGoods, as was the incredible leather-covered desk in Fallin's office, in a room just off the living room.

Hanging above the Niermann Weeks dining room table is a Schonbek chandelier Fallin found during a sale. "It was a bargain," she said. Other lighting fixtures, including those dangling over the exotic, polished granite island countertop in the kitchen, were purchased at Lowes Home Improvement.

The sculptural wooden vines attractively arranged in a glass vase?

"Oh, those were free," Fallin said. "I got them out of my mom's yard."

Strolling through the house, she noted several of the art pieces on the walls were her own creation.

"I had never painted before," she said, standing near one abstract canvas. "I got to choose the colors"

A large piece hanging in the stairwell between the two upper levels was created in South America of reclaimed metal and wood. Fallin had spotted a similar piece, tracked it to Oficina De Agogo Studio in Brazil and ordered one for herself. Its carved animals are interchangeable and can be moved about the shelf-like structure. It is lit by a chandelier with an abstract metal shade purchased at the Ferguson Kitchen, Bath & Lighting Gallery on Harry S. Truman Parkway.

Room with a river view

The third level is the master suite -- a showcase of pattern, design and delight.

The graphic wallpaper behind the headboard in the bedroom evokes a memory. It is printed with a repeating pattern of stylized keys -- very much like the keys hanging above the beds in the downstairs bedroom.

Just off the bedroom is a large walk-in closet where the couple's clothes are neatly arrayed on racks.

A few steps away, in the spacious, marble-tiled bathroom, a porthole in the large, glass front shower allows the bather to observe the passing scene out on the Magothy River.

Fallin's first painting hangs on one wall. "I did it for the color," she said of the bold, intricate work.

From the bathroom, Wright or Fallin can stroll out onto the upper deck.

"Some people questioned why we'd put a door here when we could have put in some more storage space," Fallin said.

"We don't need more storage space."

"We just want to get outside and admire the view."

To see your house, town home, condo, apartment, cottage or cabin cruiser featured, email Wendi Winters at wwinters@capgaznews.com.

What does it take to be a featured Home of the Week?

The residence must be located in the readership area of The Capital or Maryland Gazette. It cannot be for sale or being readied for sale. The photography and interview session usually takes place on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday at 10 a.m. We must have access to the full residence, and the homeowner or resident must be available for the interview and a photograph.